Anaya: A Dark Voyage [#1 LightBlood Series]

Chapter 11 - The LightBlood

The Past.
Three years ago
19th December 2016.

There are situations in our lives that forever shape who we are going to be for the rest of our lives. Sometimes they're known, other times, they're not. Sometimes they're happy and good, but there are times they are just sad and traumatic and the pain never goes away — not even with time.

For Nia Afriyie, growing up with these bitter memories had shaped her life and the kind of young adult she had become. There were a lot of things she didn't know yet and if a soothsayer were to reveal part of her future to her, she wouldn't at any point doubt that she got to that point in her life. With the kind of experiences she has had even in her young life, she was eventually leading to a dark and tragic path.

After all, our past experiences do define us.

***

Watching Nia Afriyie enter the bar was like watching her mother enter some eighteen years ago. She didn't look any different from her. She had a close resemblance with her mother. One could easily confuse her to be a reincarnation of her mother. From the dark ebony skin to the shape of her eyes to the shape of her lips and even the nose. Everything.

She wore a short-sleeve blouse with a simple African print high gathered waist skirt with a pair of shoes to complement it. Nothing fancy. Her short, black hair was made in cornrow braids. Kukua, standing gleefully beside her, wore a medium-length dress and a pair of short boots that didn't quite work well with her outfit but who was checking? She also had her hair braided in cornrows.

The Wild Street Ale House didn't look any different either.

It was, as usual, filled with a lot of people but this time because of the pre-Christmas festivities, there were more people than usual.

As always, most of these people in the bar were students. The Kolontou University of Science and Technology was breaking the next day for the Christmas holidays which made tonight the last fun the students could have especially those who weren't from Abikiali or those who didn't have as much freedom when they returned home on holidays. Everyone was there.

Anaya shuddered when they were fully inside the bar. Her eyes scanned the place to and fro as a sudden frown warped her regal figure. There was something about how young girls like herself or older were drinking alcohol, dancing with boys and doing all sorts of things that didn't settle well with her. She began to regret her decision of joining Kukua there that very second. Although they were done with high school and were awaiting their results before they could enter the University, Nia Afriyie felt it wasn't their place to mingle with the university students. Not just yet. Especially, in places like that.

She wasn't ready to stay.

"Kuks, I-" she turned to share her discomfort with her friend but she had already hit the dance floor. She could only see her whizzle through the crowd.